Surprise
by pinkdigi
Summary: Harry cursed softly and then had the grace to blush as everyone stared, wide-eyed, at the scene that was unfolding before them.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Surprise  
**……………………………………………………………

'What time is Ginny due home at, Ron?'

Ron looked up at his mum. 'Uh, I dunno,' he said. 'Hermione's the one that talked to her.' He looked to Hermione for an answer.

'I didn't ask,' Hermione said.

'Well, why not?'

'I asked her if she wanted to get some dinner tonight, just like you told me to,' she said. 'But she said she already had plans, and I thought that if I asked her what time she'd be getting home at that it would seem suspicious. It would, wouldn't it?'

Ron shrugged. 'I just hope she comes back soon,' he grumbled. 'I mean, we didn't go through all the trouble of planning this bloody surprise party just so she could stay out all night and ruin it for everyone.'

'_We_?' Hermione asked, putting a hand on her hip. 'Now, I think that's a bit of a stretch. I seem to recall that it was me sending out the invitations, and it was your mum making the food, and it was Angelina, Katie and Alicia who decorated the flat. What did you do?'

'I kept myself out of your hair for the past week while you did all of this,' he said simply, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'You sure can get a lot of work done when you're not fighting with me.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Don't I know it,' she said.

'Oi! Ron,' Fred called, coming over to where the Weasleys had all converged. 'The guests are starting to get a little antsy. When's Ginny getting here?'

Ron raised his eyebrows at Hermione. 'Your right. You must've planned this whole thing,' he said. 'Because if I was running things, I would've at least made sure that the guest of honour showed up at her own party!'

Hermione sighed and reached for a drink. 'Ginny will get here soon,' she said. 'I hope.'

'Where did she say she was going?' Mr Weasley asked.

'Out to dinner with a friend from work,' Hermione said.

'A _male _friend?' Mrs Weasley asked eagerly.

'I have no idea, actually,' Hermione said.

'Oh! I wonder who it is. I hope it's that new employee she mentioned the other day,' Mrs Weasley gushed. 'He just transferred into her deparment from the Ministry in Ireland, apparently. Ginny said he was quite fit. Perhaps he's taking her out for their own little birthday celebration. Oh, dear, I do hope she comes home tonight ...'

'_Mum_!' Ron said, feeling scandalized. He did _not _want to think of his little sister as a grown woman who dated men and ... did _other things_ with those men. And he especially didn't want to have a conversation about it with his entire family, headed by his mother. 'Of course she's coming home tonight.'

'I'm certain she's on her way home now,' Hermione said, and Ron caught her smirk as she looked between him and his mum.

'We should probably all get ready,' Alicia suggested. 'George put a charm on the building's entrance to tell us when she gets here, but the time it'll take her to walk up the stairs won't be enough for us to move all the furniture into place, turn off the lights and get into position.'

Ginny lived in a Muggle building, and so it was obvious that she wouldn't suddenly Apparate into the middle of her flat. Instead, she would walk up a few flights of stairs and into her flat, where everyone would be waiting to surprise her.

'Oh, yeah,' said Katie. 'We wouldn't want her to walk in to find all of us running around, looking for spots to hide.'

Everyone nodded in agreement. Hermione shrunk down some of the furniture and put it in a drawer for safekeeping. Bill helped by Conjuring a few tables, on which Tonks sat the drinks and plates of food. Charlie pushed the couch against the wall and set up several other chairs around the flat. Katie and Angelina went to work on straightening up the decorations. Alicia and Mrs Weasley gathered up all of the gifts for Ginny and set them on the kitchen table. The twins had the rest of the guests form a circle around them, and they were now entertaining by demonstrating some of their newest inventions.

Ron looked around Ginny's flat and smiled. Her living space now sure was different than what they'd grown up with at The Burrow. And she deserved it, too. His sister really had done well for herself. When she'd begun working at the Ministry the summer after finishing up Hogwarts, Ron honestly hadn't thought that she'd ever stick with it. Ginny was too unpredictable. She had a tendency to get bored very easily, and even she had admitted in the past that the idea of her staying with one career for the rest of her life seemed unlikely. Still, she had been in the same department for nearly five years now. Because of her natural talents with her field, as well as her status (she had, after all, played a major role in Voldemort's defeat six years earlier), Ginny was now the youngest department head in the Ministry.

Mrs Weasley's sigh interrupted Ron's thoughts. 'I can't believe my youngest baby is already twenty-three. I feel so _old_.'

'You are old,' George joked.

'What time is Harry getting in tomorrow?' Bill asked, seemingly looking for a way to change the subject. Nobody wanted to hear Mrs Weasley go on and on about how fast time flew, nor did they want to listen as she lectured them all on respect.

'About nine,' Hermione piped in. 'We spoke to him a few days ago.'

'Yeah,' said Ron. 'He said he'd be getting in just in time for her birthday brunch tomorrow.'

'We didn't mention the party tonight, though,' Hermione said. 'You know Harry. He would've insisted on coming home early, even though it isn't an option. And then he would've spent the entire night feeling awful that he was missing Ginny's celebration.'

Everyone nodded, agreeing that it was a wise decision not to tell Harry until tomorrow morning, when he arrived.

Harry was currently in Germany, training with the Cannons. He was their star Seeker, and although he had a very demanding schedule, he never missed an important family event if he could help it. And this year would have proved to be the same way – Ginny's birthday was tomorrow, and Harry had made certain that he would be home for it. Tomorrow was to be the family celebration, however. Ginny's friends and co-workers were attending this party tonight.

An alarm went off, beeping twice.

'She's coming!' Mrs Weasley announced to the room. 'Everyone hide!'

Ron flicked off the lights and crouched behind a few chairs with Hermione. After a few moments, when there were no signs of Ginny coming into her flat, Ron whispered, '_George_! Are you sure that the charm worked?'

'Positive. Have faith, little brother,' George whispered back.

'Perhaps she had a few too many drinks with dinner,' Fred chuckled.

Ron imagined in his mind what would happen if Ginny stumbled in drunk just now. In front of all her friends, co-workers, and immediate family members. Merlin, that was just about the most embarrassing thing that could happen! He crossed his fingers that she would be perfectly sober and would handle the surprise with the grace she usually demonstrated.

'Y'know,' Ron whispered, nudging Hermione. 'If we have to sit here in the dark any longer, I might just get some ideas.'

He didn't have to see his wife to know that she was rolling her eyes and mouthing, _honestly_.

He didn't get to hear her actual response, though, because the sound of a turning doorknob cut through the room, and everyone fell silent. Ron held his breath, wishing he had chose a different hiding spot. He couldn't see the door from where he was, and probably wouldn't be able to see her priceless expression once everyone stood up and obscured his view of the birthday girl standing in the doorway.

The door creaked open and Ron heard the sound of his sister's footsteps as she entered her flat, but they sounded different than they should. And there was another sound in the room, one that he couldn't discern. The door shut somewhat loudly, and Ron was beginning to wonder what was wrong. Ginny hadn't turned the light on yet. Did she always come home and walk around in complete darkness?

Was it possible that she'd somehow gotten wind of the surprise party? It was no secret that Ginny didn't like not being in control of things, and therefore it was known that there was a chance she would have a poor reaction to people jumping out from behind her furniture and yelling, _SURPRISE_! Was she standing there, stubbornly refusing to turn on the lights in an attempt to get back at them somehow?

Sensing that everyone else was equally confused, and that nobody was going to make the first move for fear of completely ruining what had taken quite a bit of time to plan, Ron quietly crawled out from behind his chair. There was the sound of a zipper, perhaps Ginny opening her purse, or even taking off her coat. But why would she wear a jacket in August?

'Mmm.'

He froze. Was that – did Ginny just _moan_?

'Ginny?' he called out. Was it possible that they'd gotten the wrong flat? They _must _have had the wrong flat. Why would Ginny –?

Several things happened at once. There was the sound of Ginny's frightened squeal when she heard a stranger call her name. The lights flew on. Mrs Weasley gasped. One of the twins burst out laughing. Everyone stood up hesitantly. Ginny gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Hermione muttered a feeble, 'Um, surprise?'

Harry cursed softly and then had the grace to blush as everyone stared, wide-eyed, at the scene that was unfolding before them.

_Oh_,_ bloody fucking hell_.

Ginny and Harry were standing on one side of the room, facing everyone else. Ginny's dress was unzipped at the back, and her hair was mussed up, as if it had just been carelessly tugged out of whatever hairstyle it had been in. Harry stood there shirtless and with his pants unbuttoned and unzipped, looking dumbfounded and even slightly disappointed, as though his good time had just been ruined.

Ron felt his hands ball up into fists. _Had _they ruined Harry and Ginny's good time? And just how good would it have been?

'I'm sure this isn't what it looks like,' Hermione said hopefully, breaking the insanely uncomfortable silence.

Ginny stared at them all for a moment before turning her chin up defiantly and folding her arms across her chest. 'Actually,' she said, 'it's exactly what it looks like.'

'Wrong answer,' Hermione whispered from beside Ron.

'Would either of you care to tell us what's going on here?' Mrs Weasley asked, her voice surprisingly steady.

Ginny looked at Harry. 'Well, I'm not totally sure, but it looks like you lot are having some sort of get together,' she said softly, and then snorted. Harry let out a short laugh before turning his face, picking his shirt up off the ground and busying himself by putting it on again. Ginny began smoothing down her hair and straightening out her dress. Harry moved forward suddenly, moving Ginny's hair out of the way and zipping up her dress with a care he'd never shown any task before. Ginny motioned down to his pants, and Harry turned away from them as he buttoned and zipped them back up.

'I meant with you two, Ginevra.'

Angry and confused though he was, Ron winced, feeling sympathy for his sister. It was never good when his mother used their full names. In fact, Ginny herself had once speculated that their mum purposely gave them horrible names so they'd all be called by nicknames. That way, when she did use their real, full name, they would know it meant trouble without her having to raise her voice at them.

Not that she wouldn't raise her voice anyway.

Harry and Ginny exchanged another worried glance.

'Well,' began Ginny. 'Harry and I – we're, y'know, together.'

'Together _how_?' Mrs Weasley asked, and although every other person in the room all had several other questions for the pair at the door, nobody voiced any as they awaited an answer.

'Dating,' Harry said, speaking to the others for the first time.

'I asked you if you were interested in Ginny!' Ron said. 'You told me that you weren't.'

'Ron, we were seventeen and in the middle of the war,' Harry said calmly. 'Of course I said I wasn't interested in her. I didn't really have a choice, did I?'

Ron shrugged. He hadn't considered that.

'And how long has all this been going on?' demanded Mrs Weasley, though the happy expression that had briefly crossed her face was not lost on Ron.

Both Harry and Ginny hesitated at this question.

'Nearly a year,' Harry said finally.

'Were you _ever _planning on telling your family?'

'Eventually ...' said Ginny. 'I mean, not ... like this.'

'Yeah,' Fred said. 'You could've just told us you were shagging Harry. But you went the extra little bit and actually showed us. Another minute and you two might've been going at it on the kitchen table –'

Ron cringed at his brother's words. Bloody hell, he _really_ didn't want to picture that!

'Fred!'

'Oh, but it's true, Mum,' added George. 'Blimey, just think of how many times Harry and Ginny were probably alone at The Burrow together.'

'They say they only started up together last year, but how can we _really _believe them?' asked Fred.

Ginny's face was bright red and Ron felt sorry for her in that moment. The twins really were taking it to her and Harry.

'After all, they've already lied to us so much,' George said, pretending to sound hurt.

'Shut it,' Ginny said fiercely, though she still looked just as embarrassed as before. She glanced at the kitchen table then, which was covered with dozens of presents for her, before dropping her gaze down to her shoes.

'And Harry, I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow,' Lupin said.

'Actually,' he said, 'I came home this morning. But I wanted to spend some time with Ginny to celebrate her birthday. Y'know. Away from everyone.'

'Far away from everyone –'

'In her flat –'

'On the table, apparently –'

'Where surely nobody would ever find out about their torrid affair,' said George.

'Pity we spoiled your night,' Fred said, though he did not sound anything but delighted. Angelina smacked him in the arm, but still, he didn't even seem fazed.

Ginny looked up at her brothers, and Ron could see that she had tears in her eyes. 'Fuck the both of you,' she whispered, and then pushed through the crowd until she reached her bedroom. She disappeared inside, leaving an uneasy group of partygoers in her wake, along with Harry, who looked torn between going and comforting Ginny and staying out here to answer the rest of Mrs Weasley's questions.

Apparently deciding that Ginny was more important, he followed the path she had cleared toward her bedroom.

'Now, Harry,' said Fred. 'Can we trust the two of you in there alone or –?'

'Shut _up_,' Harry snapped, turning to the twins. 'I'd hate to have to kick both of your arses but I will if you don't shut your fucking mouths right now. You want to make fun of me? Go ahead. But leave your sister _alone_. All night at dinner she kept talking about how she couldn't wait for tomorrow because she hadn't seen her brothers in a while. I guess you just proved that maybe not seeing you so often isn't a bad thing at all.'

Fred and George just gaped at Harry, and part of Ron was estatically pleased that someone other than Mrs Weasley had finally put the twins in their places. And the fact that Harry had done it because he was defending Ginny was the cherry on top of it all.

Harry knocked softly on Ginny's door before opening in up and going inside, closing it behind him. Ron looked at the rest of the guests awkwardly. Was the party over? Or was Harry going to get Ginny to come out and salvage the rest of their night with her family and friends?

Ron got his answer a few minutes later, when Harry emerged from the bedroom followed closely by Ginny.

'I – uh – _we_ – just wanted to apologize for what you all saw before,' Ginny said, with a great deal of effort. 'And we're also sorry that we didn't tell any of you about our relationship. At first, we wanted to go on a few dates and see if anything came of it, but we didn't tell my family because we knew that they'd all been pushing for us to get together. Which wasn't a bad thing at all, it was just ... it's difficult to have a new relationship with the added pressure of your family wanting it to work out,' she explained. 'We're not sure why we didn't tell you after a few months. We just ... didn't. But we should have. Well, no. Harry told me to say that. I still think it's none of your bloody business, any of you.'

'We're sorry too, Gin,' said Fred.

'We were just kidding around,' George seconded.

She nodded and smiled at them, and seemed to relax a tiny bit more.

'So,' she continued. 'Um ... I see some of Mum's famous chocolate cake over there. Who wants me to cut them a piece?'

……………………………………………………………

'We should probably be getting home,' Hermione said through a yawn. 'It's getting rather late, and we've all got to be at The Burrow tomorrow for brunch.'

It was past midnight now, and all of the guests were gone. Only Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny were left sitting around Ginny's flat.

'Need any help cleaning up?' Ron asked, and then cringed at his words. Merlin, Hermione really was starting to rub off on him. And not in the good way.

'Nah, we've got it,' Harry said.

Ginny smiled and then wrapped her arms around Ron. 'Thanks for tonight. I know you had something to do with it.'

'Oh, yeah,' he said lightly, letting go of his sister. 'It was all me.'

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and then moved to embrace Harry. 'Sorry for not telling you about the party,' she said. 'We just didn't want you to feel sorry about missing it. Turns out you really could've used the heads up.'

Harry smiled. 'Guess so,' he said. 'But it's probably better now that everything's out in the open.'

'I agree,' said Ginny after a dramatic sigh. 'Really, if Mum asked me one more time when I was going to find a nice man and settle down ... would you believe that I had to make up a story about some good-looking co-worker who'd transferred from Ireland, just to get her off of my back? Honestly!'

'The nerve of her,' Ron teased. 'Wanting her child to find someone and be happy.'

Ginny smiled grudgingly.

'So?' said Ron. 'That's all? There's not any other huge secret you're keeping from us?'

'Can't think of one,' Harry said, smiling strangely.

Ginny and Hermione hugged goodbye, and Ron caught sight of a rather lovely ring sitting on his sister's fourth finger, in the same spot as the ring he'd given Hermione three years ago. A ring that must have been turned around while the rest of the guests were still present.

Ginny caught Ron's eye and winked.

……………………………………………………………

**I wrote this last night at four in the morning, when I should have been in bed because I had to work this morning. I wasn't going to post it or anything. And then my work called and cancelled my shift today (thank God for small favours), so I'm taking it as a sign that I should get over myself and share this. **

A part of me really wants to hate this fic, mostly because the war is over but nobody is dead, but I think the idea of Harry and Ginny getting caught by her_ entire _family, plus all of their friends, is just too funny.

Review!


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